We created a trade system that’s now eating us up from the inside!

Donkey years ago when I took Economics 101, same as many of us, it felt a bit strange to learn about how goods were valued and the global demand & supply arrangements that left supposedly poorer nations in a pit, as the products they exported were valued by a matrix that they didn’t create…..

Nothing new there of course! You may have to go back hundreds of years…

It is what it is.

What that arrangement wasn’t designed to cope with though, is implosion. The west is not supposed to be at each other’s throats. The entire tariff system may have to be overhauled. But by whom?
This is where populism tends to cross paths with realism.
When some say they wish to “put their country first”. Well, why not? Let them. It may well open their eyes to just how dependent we now all are, on each other.
Why is the world so dead against ‘America First’?
US population is 334million. World population is 8.02billion. If the world have been exploiting American generosity over the years as the ‘American First’ people claim, then perhaps they are well within their right to seek to end that. Now, I cannot say that I see any particular part of the world, that has been more prosperous than the USA, so, not entirely sure where the said lopsided arrangement is? Who has exploited America’s generosity? China? Canada? Mexico? India? or is it simply all of us?
Well, if that be the case, then, let’s see what happens over the next 4 years, if the US do indeed end the alleged freebies these folk claim they have been handing to the world?

There may well be some truth to what the ‘America First’ proponents allege? If not, why is everyone so worried? They say they want to (and they have now won the election and run all tiers of their government: congress and the White House) and intend to put their country first. Well, why is everyone having a hissy fit? Could it be, that we have all been taking advantage of their generosity as they claim? If not, then, what’s the hysteria about? or could it be, that we are just worried about the destabilising effect of tariffs etc.? Fair enough, it may all lead to some chaos. But if they are hellbent of doing what they say they will, then the world should just prepare for that bit of chaos, over the next 4 years and QUIT MOANING!!!!
if the circa 7.9billion people of the world (excluding the US) are indeed so dependent on the generosity of the circa 334million in the US, then they (Americans) do indeed deserve to live it large and have the cheapest gas (as they call it), groceries etc., as they want and whatever it is the ‘America First’ people say Americans do not presently have.
If they are wrong, and the world haven’t been exploiting US generosity and we have not been taking advantage of them, then that should all become very apparent and they may just discover just how much their 334million people need the remaining 7.9billion people of the world?

None of this should be acrimonious. Same for Brexit. It should all be a simple matter of principle. Countries should be able to determine how they want to position themselves in the world. It does seem a tad suspicious, when there is acrimonious objection. If America want to slap tariffs on everything and contribute less to global endeavours etc., well, others can slap whatever tariffs they can too, and let’s see where it all ends up.

Either way, we will soon find out. Quit the moaning Canada, Mexico et al., go back to the drawing board and sort out how the 7.9 odd billion of the world can trade with each other and stay afloat, if 334million people say they no longer wish to be taken advantage of, and no longer wish to subsidise the rest of the world.